Automatic bowling pinsetter out-of-range rake sweep control apparatus

ABSTRACT

Mechanism for automatically actuating the out-of-range rake sweep control in an automatic bowling pinsetter utilizes a mechanical linkage which is connected with the out-of-range pin detector mechanism. A first link of the mechanism is coupled with a lever which is movable in one direction in response to the detection of an out-of-range pin, and a second link, pivotally connected to the first link, is also connected with the range control reset lever which is movable in an opposite direction. Thus, when the first lever is moved in one direction, the second lever is automatically moved in the opposite direction to reset the pinsetter without interrupting the continuous operation of the machine.

United States Patent Inventor Robert C. Buck 16208 East 38th St., Independence, Mo. 64055 Appl. No. 863,794

Filed Oct. 6, 1969 Patented June 15, 1971 AUTOMATIC BOWLING PINSETTER OUT-OF- RANGE RAKE SWEEP CONTROL APPARATUS Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Attorney-Don M. Bradley ABSTRACT: Mechanism for automatically actuating the outof-range rake sweep control in an automatic bowling pinsetter utilizes a mechanical linkage which is connected with the outof-range pin detector mechanism. A first link of the mechanism is coupled with a lever which is movable in one direction in response to the detection of an out-of-range pin, and a second link, pivo'tally connected to the first link, is also connected with the range control reset lever which is movable in an opposite direction. Thus, when the first lever is moved in one direction, the second lever is automatically moved in the opposite direction to reset the pinsetter without interrupting the continuous operation of the machine.

AUTOMATIC BOWLING PINSETTER OUT-OF-RANGE RAKE SWEEP CONTROL APPARATUS This invention relates to automatic bowling pinsetter machines and, more particularly, to a mechanism for automatically actuating the out-of-range rake sweep control upon detection of an out-of-range pin without interruption of the continuous operation of the machine.

An automatic bowling pinsetter of the type for which the present invention is particularly adapted, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,973,204 which issued to Huck et al. on Feb. 28, 1961. Machines of the type disclosed in the aforementioned patent are well known to those skilled in the bowling art and have achieved almost universal acceptance in recent years. These machines are generally described as completely automatic, although situations can arise during the game of bowling which result in inactivation of the machines and require the manual reactuation thereof. This is the case when a bowling pin is moved out of range or too far off spot on the bed of the bowling alley by the first ball thrownybut still remains standing. When this occurs the pin deck of the machine, in its downward path of travel, strikes the out-ofrange standing pin and is prevented from completing its downward cycle. If operation of the machine was not interrupted, the pin deck would raise and the rake sweep would clear all pins from the alley to permit the placement of a complete new set of standing pins. This of course would disrupt the players game and, therefore, sensing mechanism has previously been provided to detect the out-of-range pin during the downward movement of the pin deck and, upon the detection of such a pin, interrupt the normal cycle ofoperation of the machine. To reset the machine it has been necessary for an attendant to pull a lever which blocks out the rake sweep and then allows the machine to continue itsnormal cycle of operation.

In some instances, apparatus has been provided to automatically reset the pinsetter after its normal cycle of operation has been interrupted. Such prior devices have been limited to electrical solenoids which are actuated by the closing of a switch in response to the movement of the mechanical linkage which interrupts the normal cycle of operation of the machine. The solenoid then moves the reset mechanism to reactuate the machine. Obviously, the dependence of these prior devices upon solenoids and electrical switches has made them relatively expensive and not completely reliable over the life ofa machine.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide out-of-range rake sweep control apparatus for a bowling pinsetter which automatically actuates the out-ofrange reset lever through a simple mechanical linkage that is actuated when an out-of-range pin is detected.

It is a further object of this invention to provide out-ofrange rake sweep control apparatus as aforesaid wherein the mechanical linkage is actuated by the out-of-range detection mechanism without the use of electrical switches or solenoids, thereby avoiding the expense and unreliability of these devices.

Stillanother object of this invention is to provide automatic rake sweep control apparatus which is easily adapted to existing automatic bowling pinsetters without the need for major changes in the machine.

Additionally, it is an object of this invention to provide automatic rake sweep control apparatus for a bowling pinsetter which actuates the reset lever'of the machine without dependence upon the prior disengagement of the drive mechanism, thereby shortening the cycle of operation of the machine and simplifying the reset process.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a bowling pinsetter employing the out-of-range rake sweep control apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, side elevational view of the mechanical linkage which forms the out-of-range control apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view' taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partial plan view of a bowling pinsetter illustrating a mode of adapting the same to accommodate the apparatus of the present invention.

Reference will be made throughout the following description to U.S. Pat. No. 2,973,204, and the same is incorporated herein by reference to the extent necessary for a full and complete understanding of the construction and operation of the present invention. To the extent possible, applicable reference numerals of the aforementioned patent are shown parenthetically in the following discussion when describing analogous components of the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawing and FIGS. 6, 6A and 7A of the above-mentioned patent, a rigid mounting plate 10 (323) is vertically disposed at the top of the pinsetter. Solenoids 560 and 580 in the Patent are not shown in FIG. 1 of the present application since these devices form no part of the present invention and can be easily relocated to allow incorporation of the apparatus of the invention.

The plate 10 is of irregular configuration and is provided with a pair of rigid projections 12 which serve as mounts for the solenoid 580 shown in FIG. 7A of the Patent. A second vertical plate 14, which is parallel to and spaced from the plate 10, supports one end of a shaft 16 on which a reciprocable lever arm 18 (510) is mounted. An elongated connecting member 10 (546) is pivotally joined to the end of the lever arm 18 and extends longitudinally of the machine where a support arm 19 holds the member 20 for reciprocable movement. A clutch actuator lever 22 is located adjacent the arm 19 and is capable of disengaging the driver mechanism of the machine through a yoke linkage 24 (2l8) which is connected with the lever 22 through a pin 23 and also connected to the clutch mechanism (not shown).

A threaded socket 26 is also pivotally connected to the lever arm 18 at a point beneath the connecting member 20 and receives an elongated rod 28 the latter extending from the arm 18 at an acute angle to the horizontal. The other end of the rod 28 is received by a socket 30 which is secured to a rake cross brace 32 (102). The ends of the rod 28 are held within the respective sockets 26 and 30 by locknuts 34 and 36. A spacer 38 is telescoped over the rod 28 and abuts the locknut 34. A

A shaft 40 which extends transversely of the plates 10 and 14 supports a bellcrank 42. One arm 44 (537) of the bellcrank is connected with the detector mechanism of the machine and the other arm 46 (539) serves as a lever for a second connecting member 48 (540) which is=coupled with one arcuate segment 50 (FIG. 4) of a curved arm 52 having a second arcuate segment 54 disposed adjacent the connecting member 20 in spaced relationship to the first arcuate segment 50. The segment 50 is provided with a vertical projection 55 for purposes to be made clear hereinafter.

Referring additionally to FIGS. 2 and 3 wherein it is seen that the mechanism of the invention is shown in detail, a pair of relatively movable, rigid, elongated sections 56 and 58 are held in interconnected relationship'by fastener means such as a screw and bolt assembly 60 to present a first link 59 that is coupled with the arm 46 by a rivet 62or other appropriate means extending through an opening adjacent the end of the section 58. The link 59 presented by sections 56 and 58 extends away from the lever arm 46 toward the rod 28in generally parallel relationship to the latter.

A second link 64 is presented by three perpendicularly disposed planar sections, two of which are provided with notches such as 65 (visible in FIG. 3) which permit the link 64 to be saddled over the rod 28. The end of the link'64'removed from the rod 28 is pivotallyconnected to the link 59 by a nut and bolt assembly 66.

Structure such as a cross brace 68 which extends transversely of the link 64, is secured to the projections 12 by bolts 70 and serves to mount the link 64 for'pivotal movement about a screw 72 which connects the link 64 to the cross brace 68. A

in normal operation, when the sensing mechanism (which is shown in detail in FIG. 6A of the referenced Patent) detects an out-of-range pin, the arm 46 of the bellcrank 42 is moved to the left when viewing FIG. I, to position the arcuate segment 54 directly beneath the cross pin 23 when the latter is disposed in the location illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 4. This prevents further operation of the clutch lever 22 and effectively interrupts the normal cycle of operation of the pinsetter by disengaging the drive mechanism. To reset the pinsetter, a manual lever 74 (545) (shown in broken lines in FIG. 4), which is connected to the member by a cross pin 76, is pulled to the right, thus moving the lever arm 18 in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the lever arm 46 and thereby rotating the cross brace 32 which, in turn, actuates a latching mechanism to block out the rake sweep of the pinsetter. Simultaneously, as the reset lever 74 is pulled to the right, the pin 76 engages the projection 55 thereby moving the arcuate segment 54 from beneath the pin 23 to release the clutch lever 22 and thereby reengage the drive mechanism. With the pin 23 moved to the position shown by solid lines in FIG. 4 and the manual release rod 74 and cross pin 76 removed from the pinsetter and with the mechanism of the present invention installed, movement of the lever arm 46 to the left in response to the detection of an out-of-rangc pin does not block out the clutch lever 22 but instead, moves the link 59 to the left. The fact that the link 64 is pivotally connected to the link 59, together with the fact that the link 64 is disposed for movement about a pivot point which lies in a plane intermediate the connections of the link 64 with the link 59 and the lever arm 18, results in the lever arm 18 being moved in a direction opposite to the direction of movement by the lever arm 46. Thus, the pinsetter is automatically reset upon detection of an out-of-range pin without interruption of the continuous operation of the machine. It is desirable that the link 59 be comprised of a pair of relatively movable sections to allow adjustment thereof to achieve maximum leverage and proper working tolerances for each individual pinsetter. It will also be appreciated that while the link 64 has been shown saddled over the rod 28 which forms an extension of the lever arm 18, and this type of connection is particularly advantageous, the link 64 could be configured so as to connect directly with the lever arm 18.

It is to be understood that while the foregoing description has made reference to a particular existing U.S. Patent, the present invention is not meant to be limited to the specific automatic pinsetter shown and described in this patent. The assignee of the Huck et al, U.S. Pat. No. 2,973,204, has produced various commercial models of automatic pinsetters, the basic operation of which is the same as described in the referenced Patent. The present invention has found applicability in all of the assignee's commercial machines designated Model A-l593 (and higher) and those Model A machines which have been converted into Models A-2.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic bowling pinsetter machine having a movable pin deck, means on said deck for picking up and resetting standing pins and for setting a set of pins, sensing means on said deck for detecting when a standing pin has been moved beyond the range of operation of the pin pickup means, first lever means movable in one direction in response to detection of an out-of-range pin for interrupting the normal cycle of operation of the pinsetter, and second lever means movable in a direction opposite to said one direction for resetting the pinsetter, the combination with said first and second lever means of apparatus for effecting actuation of said second lever means without interruption of the continuous operation of the machine, said apparatus comprising:

a first link coupled with said first lever means and movable therewith;

a second link pivotally connected to said first link and connected with said second lever means; and structure mounting said second link for movement about a pivot point which lies in a plane intermediate the connections of the second link with the first link and the second lever means, whereby when said first lever means is moved in said one direction the second lever means is moved in said opposite direction to reset the pinsetter.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said second lever means comprises a crank arm, an elongated rod coupled with the crank arm, and spacer means on said rod adjacent said crank arm, and said second link is saddled over said rod in abutting relationship to said spacer.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein said elongated rod is disposed at an acute angle relative to the horizontal plane, said first link is generally parallel to said rod, and said second link is generally perpendicular to said rod.

4. The invention of claim 2, wherein said first link comprises a pair of relatively movable sections and fastening means for holding said sections in rigid relationship.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said structure comprises a cross brace extending transversely of said second link. 

1. In an automatic bowling pinsetter machine having a movable pin deck, means on said deck for picking up and resetting standing pins and for setting a set of pins, sensing means on said deck for detecting when a standing pin has been moved beyond the range of operation of the pin pickup means, first lever means movable in one direction in response to detection of an out-ofrange pin for interrupting the normal cycle of operation of the pinsetter, and second lever means movable in a direction opposite to said one direction for resetting the pinsetter, the combination with said first and second lever means of apparatus for effecting actuation of said second lever means without interruption of the continuous operation of the machine, said apparatus comprising: a first link coupled with said first lever means and movable therewith; a second link pivotally connected to said first link and connected with said second lever means; and structure mounting said second link for movement about a pivot point which lies in a plane intermediate the connections of the second link with the first link and the second lever means, whereby when said first lever means is moved in said one direction the second lever means is moved in said opposite direction to reset the pinsetter.
 2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said second lever means comprises a crank arm, an elongated rod coupled with the crank arm, and spacer means on said rod adjacent said crank arm, and said second link is saddled over said rod in abutting relationship to said spacer.
 3. The invention of claim 2, wherein said elongated rod is disposed at an acute angle relative to the horizontal plane, said first link is generally parallel to said rod, and said second link is generally perpendicular to said rod.
 4. The invention of claim 2, wherein said first link comprises a pair of relatively movable sections and fastening means for holding said sections in rigid relationship.
 5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said structure comprises a cross brace extending transversely of said second link. 